Improvement in harvesters



PATENT OFFICE.

H. o.. SMITH, on oI.13vI3LAND,oHIo.v`

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS. i

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 19,590., dated March 9, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. SMITH, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful ,Imf'

provements in Harvesters; and vI do hereby declare. that the following is a full and complete description ofthe construction and'operation of the saine, reference being had tothe accom-` panying drawings, and to the letters ot' refere-nce marked thereon, making part of this specilicationfin Which- Figure lis a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a plan View. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a rear view, and Fig..5 sectional parts.

The driving-wheel A is constructed in -the usual form, one only being used. A cog bevelgear, B, is attached to the arms of the wheel A, just inside of the tread. A shaft, C, passes through the center of the hub, and upon this the wheel revolves. The shaft or axle C extends upon eitherside of the hub a sufcient distance to receive the frame D and drag-bar E, both of which articulate upon the shaft or axle C. The arm D' is a continuation of the frame D, and turns at right angles at D, and terminating upon aline with the middle of the wheel A.

Between the frameD and the wheel A, upon the inside and attached to the hub ot' the wheel, is a pulley, F,which serves to drive the reel. The cutter-bar G is rigidly attached to the drag-bars E E, and is constructed in the usual form, and is .furnished with the usual appendages oftingers, knives, &c.

For the purpose of raising and lowering the cutter-bar at pleasure, I introduce a system of levers, H I J. The'lever H is placed upon the right hand and a little in front ofthe drivers seat K, so that he can takev hold of it with his right hand. The fulcrum of the lever H is upon the forward end of the frame D at H. The short arm ofthe lever H" takes hold by a pin-joint of the connecting-rod L. This coul necting-rod L is in like manner attached atits upper enil to the lever I, whose fulcrum is upon the axle C. The arm I forms a slight angle.

.with the drag-har E, to which it is rigidly attached at the points where the axle C passes through both', as seen at I', Figs.2 and 3. Consequently when the lever H is drawn back toward the seat the forward end ofthe leverI is depressed and the tail end of the drag-bar E and cutter-bar G raised from the ground to an extent corresponding to the distance the lever H is drawn back. The lever I- can be supported at any point by a piu' introduced into any of the holes in the support M.

For the purpose of raising thelouter end ot' the cutter-bar the same distance and simultaneously with the right-hand end, l introduce the curved lever J, which has its fulcrum atN just above the back right-hand corner of the drag-bar E. The long arm ot' this lever J has a slotat the end, as seen at O, Fig. 4, which plays upon a pin or wrist, O',upon the end ot' the arm D. To the short arm of this lever J is attached a rod or cord, as seenatP, Fig. 4.

This rod or cord extends along the back edge of the cutter-bar G between two protecting plates, as seen at I P in Figs. 2 and 4. `The rod orcord P P', or equivalent, should be formed ofshort links, or of some flexible material at the P( end, so as to enableit to pass upward from beneath the roller Q, from whence it passes to and takes hold of the crossbar R, that connects -the bent levers R R' aboutone-third of the distance from the fulcrum end of these levers; The roller Q is -secured to a plate, T, (seen 1n Fig. 5,) which rests upon and is secured to the outer end of the cutter-bar., The fulcrum of the levers R R is in the plateT and on a lille with its upper surface. The outer end of the levers R R support the wheel S, which rests upon the ground and carries the weight of the' outer end of the cutter-bar and its appendages. The position of the 'wheel S and the levers R' R when the cutter-bar is working close to thev ground is seen in Fig. 3, the lever H being in the position shown in Fig. 3-thatis, thelevcr is not drawn back toward the seat K.

Whenever it is desired to raise the cutterbar to pass over obstructions or to cut higher from the ground, the'lever H is drawn back toward the seat K. This movement depresses the lever I and raises the drag-bar E. This moves the lever J on the pin O in the direcl tion of the arrow l, (M 1,) the short 'arm of the lever J moves in the oppositedirection and.

draws the rod P P in the direction indicated .by the arrow 2, (D 2,) and this movement acting upon the levers It Rf, the outer ends of l which are supported by the Wheel S, the fulcrum end is necessarily elevated, and with it the cutter-bar. Thislbrings the wheel S and the levers R R into the position seen in Fig. 5, when the lever H is drawn entirely back.

y inclination upward or downward, even without reference to the height of the team, or to keep them in a horizontal position, as above described, it' desired.

I do not claim any of the devices herein named and described as new in themselves considered or detached from each other; but what distinguishes my improvement from all others relates ro the manner of elevating and depressing the cutter-bar by means before set forth, and also in giving' any desired pitch to the fingers, or keeping them in a horizontal v position by means of changing the relative position of the neap in reference to the frame D and drag-bars E E, and at the saine time changing the point of dra-ft as the nature ot the case may require.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The manner herein described of raising and lowering the cutter-bar by the combined action ot' the levers HI J, the flexible rod or cord I I, levers R R', and wheel S. This I claim when constructed and relatively arranged and operating as described, and also when used in connection with the drag-bars E E articulating upon the axle C, as set forth, for the purpose speciiied.

H. o. SMITH.

Witnesses:

J oHN BRAINERD, G. lH. BENHAM. 

